Dear Hilary
,
I'm invited to a really big wedding before Christmas and I have to wear a hat. I'm struggling because those big, flowery monstrosities you see at Ascot are not 'me' at all, and I can't stand fascinators, quite apart from the fact there're completely impractical in winter. What do you suggest?
Many thanks,
Stephanie
, Wiltshire

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Dear Stephanie
,
Forget fascinators and totally pass on anything massive and flower-bedecked that looks like a left- over from an amateur production of 'My Fair Lady'.
Hats are big this winter, but in terms of popularity, not in size, and there's a whole tribe of hats to choose from whether you are on a budget or of a mind to blow-it-all on millinery heaven.
Why not try a Trilby? Call for a cloche? Fancy a fedora? Pose in a pillbox? Or take a risk in retro. What you choose depends on the colour of your outfit, and what suits the shape of your face.
Celebrity milliner
StephenJones
recommends taking a mirror when you go shopping so you can check how the hat looks from all angles. You can wear your hair long with a hat, but tuck it behind your ears so the jaw-line is visible. And, he adds, 'remember the hat is the frame, YOU are the picture'.
I would also advise taking your planned outfit with you and trying everything on together, to ensure the the whole look works in terms of colour and proportion. Finally, hats are fun and very personal, choose the one that makes you feel happiest and most comfortable.
I've put together a few hat options above to give you some ideas, with styles ranging from a red, pure wool cloche, with navy piping and bow-trim, £25, from Per Una at
marksandspencer.com
to a £270 violet felt beret with feather trim, by
NeridaFraiman
, at
Fenwick
, New Bond Street, W1. Also try
houseoffraser.co.uk
and
johnlewis.com
.
Hope this helps,
Hilary